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Haleakala Field Station

USGS/BRD/PIERC
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postal address: P.O. Box 369, Makawao, HI 96768
physical address: Mile Marker 10.5, Crater Rd., Kula (Maui), HI 96790
voice: (808) 572-4472    fax: (808) 572-1304  (include "ATTN: Research")

 Aloha!   What's new!   Mission   What we do    Projects  Facilities for visiting researchers  Staff  Selected publications


Comments or questions about this website?  Send e­mail to pt@hear.org

Aloha!

Welcome to the website for the Haleakala Field Station (HFS) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)/Biological Resources Division (BRD)/Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center (PIERC)!  This field station is located in Haleakala National Park on East Maui (state of Hawaii, USA) at an elevation of approximately 2070 meters (6800 feet).  Historically, our USGS/BRD (formerly NBS) field station evolved from the Research office of Haleakala National Park, to which we were administratively attached until 1993-94.  We continue to be physically (they provide us with an office) and emotionally attached to Haleakala National Park (which we still regard as the premier and prototype nature reserve in Hawaii), while we are enthusiastically grateful for sustenance from USGS/BRD and PIERC.

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What's new!


Mission

The mission of the Haleakala Field Station of USGS/BRD is to conduct and facilitate objective research, gather and integrate baseline information, and provide technical assistance and leadership in conserving biological diversity in Hawaii, with special attention to Haleakala National Park and the island of Maui.

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What we do

Our work relates especially to protecting native ecosystems and native species and to combatting threats from invasive alien species. We work closely with personnel of Haleakala National Park, Kalaupapa National Historical Park, the Pacific Islands Office of Fish and Wildlife Service, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii, Living Indigenous Forest Ecosystems, the Maui Land and Pineapple Co., Ulupalakua Ranch, the Bernice P. Bishop Museum, the Center for Plant Conservation, various departments of the University of Hawaii, and others.

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Projects

Here are of some of the current projects based at the USGS/BRD Haleakala Field Station:
 


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Facilities for visiting researchers

The Haleakala Conservation Biology Field Station (HCBFS)--located "across the lawn" from the USGS/BRD/PIERC field station--provides low-cost temporary housing for visiting researchers. Affectionately known also as the "TNC House," the HCBFS structure was built with money obtained by The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii. The HCBFS is managed and maintained by USGS/BRD/HFS staff and Haleakala National Park.

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Staff

We are proud to have a very capable staff at our field station. Here's a list of our "star players":
 
Dr. Lloyd L. Loope (1980-): Ph.D. in Botany, Duke University (1970); Research Scientist (HFS program leader). e-mail: Lloyd_Loope@usgs.gov

Arthur Medeiros (1981-): program field leader; specialist in Hawaiian natural history; currently in Ph.D. program with Department of Botany, University of Hawaii. (no e-mail)

Chuck Chimera (1991-): specialist on Miconia, Pampas grass, other weeds & technical assistance. e-mail: chimera@hawaii.edu

Philip Thomas (1992-): HEAR computer specialist & technical assistance; database design, software development, websites; alien species project assistance. e-mail: pt@hear.org

Paul Krushelnycky (1993-): specialist for Argentine ant project & technical assistance. e-mail: krusheln@hawaii.edu

Stephanie Joe (1995-): HEAR GPS/mapping specialist & technical assistance. e-mail: sjoe@hawaii.edu

Ellen van Gelder (1996-): M.S. in Zoology, University of San Francisco (1997); assisting in avian work with weed project in Kipahulu Valley. (no e-mail)

Jean-Yves Meyer (1996-97): Doctorate in Evolution and Ecology, Universite Montpellier, France (1994); visiting scholar from French Polynesia with much expertise on Miconia calvescens and alien plants of the Pacific. e-mail: recherch@mail.pf

Catherine Davenport (1996-): assisting part-time with micro-analysis of bird-dispersed seeds in Kipahulu Valley. (no e-mail)

Kim Starr (1997-): Botanical research associate, specializing in alien plant information gathering & mapping, silversword monitoring, plants of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and ecosystem restoration. e-mail: kmartz@hawaii.edu

Forest Starr (1997-): Botanical research associate, specializing in alien plant information gathering & mapping, silversword monitoring, plants of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and ecosystem restoration. e-mail: fstarr@hawaii.edu

Tracy Erwin (2000-): Dryland forest restoration & research. e-mail: auwahi@yahoo.com

Will Haines (2001-): Research specialist focusing on Argentine ant control, biology, and non-target effects of pesticides. e-mail: whaines@hawaii.edu


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Selected publications

The following selected publications give a flavor of the type of research carried out at HFS.

Loope, L.L., and C.F. Crivellone. 1986. Status of the Haleakala Silversword: Past and Present. Coop. Natl. Park Resources Studies Unit, Univ. Hawaii/Manoa, Dept. Botany. Tech. Rept. 58.

Medeiros, A.C., L.L. Loope, and R.A. Holt. 1986. Status of Native Flowering Plant Species on the South Slope of Haleakala, East Maui, Hawaii. Coop. Natl. Park Resources Studies Unit, Univ. Hawaii/Manoa, Dept. Botany. Tech. Rept. 59. 230p.

Loope, L.L., O.H. Hamann, and C.P. Stone. 1988. Comparative conservation biology of oceanic archipelagoes: Hawaii and the Galapagos. BioScience 34(4): 272-282.

Medeiros, A.C., and H. St. John. 1988. Geranium hanaense (Geraniaceae), a new species from Maui, Hawaiian Islands. Brittonia 40(2): 214-220.

Macdonald, I.A.E., L.L. Loope, M.B. Usher, and O. Hamann. 1989. Wildlife conservation and the invasion of nature reserves by alien species: a global perspective, p. 215-255. In J.A. Drake and others (eds.), Ecology of Biological Invasions: a Global Synthesis. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, U.K.

Loope, L.L., and D. Mueller-Dombois. 1989. Characteristics of invaded islands, p. 257-280. In H.A. Mooney and others (eds.), Ecology of Biological Invasions: a Global Synthesis. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, U.K.

Howarth, F.G., and A.C. Medeiros. 1989. Non-native invertebrates, p. 82-87. In C.P. Stone and D.B. Stone (eds.), Conservation Biology in Hawai'i. Coop. Natl. Park Resources Studies Unit, Univ. Hawaii/Manoa, Dept. Botany.

Gambino, P., A.C. Medeiros, and L.L. Loope. 1990. Invasion and colonization of upper elevations on East Maui (Hawaii, U.S.A.) by the western yellowjacket Vespula pensylvanica (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 83(6): 1087-1095.

Loope, L.L., A.C. Medeiros, and B.H. Gagne. 1991a. Aspects of the History and Biology of the Montane Bogs of Haleakala National Park. Coop. Natl. Park Resources Studies Unit, Univ. Hawaii/Manoa, Dept. Botany. Tech. Rept. 76. 43p.

Loope, L.L., A.C. Medeiros, and B.H. Gagne. 1991b. Recovery of Vegetation of a Montane Bog in Haleakala National Park following Protection from Feral Pig Rooting. Coop. Natl. Park Resources Studies Unit, Univ. Hawaii/Manoa, Dept. Botany. Tech. Rept. 77. 23p.

Medeiros, A.C., L.L. Loope, and B.H. Gagne. 1991. Degradation of Vegetation in Two Montane Bogs in Haleakala National Park: 1982-1988. Coop. Natl. Park Resources Studies Unit, Univ. Hawaii/Manoa, Dept. Botany. Tech. Rept. 78. 31p.

Cole, F.R., A.C. Medeiros, L.L.Loope, and W.W. Zuehlke. 1992. Effects of the Argentine ant (Iridomyrmex humilis) on the arthropod fauna of high-elevation shrubland, Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii. Ecology 7(4): 1313-1322.

Medeiros, A.C., L.L. Loope, T. Flynn, L. Cuddihy, K.A. Wilson, and S. Anderson. 1992. The naturalization of an Australian tree fern (Cyathea cooperi) in Hawaiian rain forests. American Fern Journal 82(1): 27-33.

Loope, L.L., R.G. Nagata, and A.C. Medeiros. 1992. Introduced plants in Haleakala National Park, p. 551-576. In C.P. Stone, C.W. Smith and J.T. Tunison (eds.), Alien Plant Invasions in Native Ecosystems of Hawaii: Management and Research. Univ. Hawaii Press for Univ. Hawaii Cooperative National Park Resources Studies Unit, Honolulu.

Medeiros, A.C., L.L. Loope, and C. Chimera. 1993. Biological inventory and management recommendations for Kanaio Natural Area Reserve. Report to Hawaii Natural Area Reserve Commission. Haleakala National Park.

Medeiros, A.C., and L.L. Loope. 1993. Differential colonization by epiphytes on native (Cibotium spp.) tree ferns in a Hawaiian rain forest. Selbyana 14:71-74.

Waring, G., L.L. Loope, and A.C. Medeiros. 1993. Study on use of alien versus native plants by nectarivorous forest birds on Maui, Hawaii. The Auk 110(4): 917-920.

Medeiros, A.C., R.W. Hobdy, and W.H. Wagner. 1993. Notes on the rediscovery, status, and ecology of the very rare Hawaiian fern Christella boydiae (Thelypteridaceae). American Fern Journal 83(3): 86-89.

Medeiros, A.C., L.L. Loope, and R. Hobdy. 1993. Conservation of cloud forests in Maui County (Maui, Moloka'i, and Lana'i), Hawaii, p. 142-148. In Tropical Montane Cloud Forests, Proceedings of an International Symposium, L.S. Hamilton, J.O. Juvik, and F.N. Scatena (eds.). East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Loope, L., M. Duever, A. Herndon, J. Snyder, and D. Jansen. 1994. Hurricane impact on uplands and freshwater swamp forest. BioScience 44(4): 238-246.

Loope, L.L., and A.C. Medeiros. 1994. Biotic interactions in Hawaiian high-elevation ecosystems, p. 337-354. In Tropical Alpine Environments: Plant Form and Function, P.W. Rundel, A.P. Smith, and F.C. Meinzer (eds.). Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, U.K.

Medeiros, A.C., and L.L. Loope. 1994. Rare Animals and Plants of Haleakala National Park. Illustrated by Nanci Sidaras. Hawaii Natural History Association. Hawaii National Park, HI. 56 p.

Loope, L.L., and A.C. Medeiros. 1994. Impacts of biological invasions on the management and recovery of rare plants in Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaiian Islands, p. 143-158. In Restoration of Endangered Species, M. Bowles and C.J. Whelan (eds.). Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, UK.

Cole, F.R., L.L. Loope, A.C. Medeiros, J.A. Raikes, and C.S. Wood. 1995. Conservation implications of introduced game birds (Phasianus colchicus and Alectoris chukar) in high-elevation Hawaiian shrubland. Conservation Biology 9(2):306-313.

Loope, L.L., and A.C. Medeiros. 1995. Strategies for long-term protection of biological diversity in native rainforests of Haleakala National Park and East Maui, Hawaii. Endangered Species Update 12(6).

Loope, L.L., and A.C. Medeiros. 1995. Haleakala silversword (Argyroxiphium sandwicense subsp. macrocephalum), p. 363-364. In Our Living Resources, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.

Loope, L.L. 1995. Climate change and island biological diversity, p. 123-134. In Biological Diversity and Ecosystem Function on Islands, P. Vitousek, L. Loope, and H. Adsersen (eds.). Springer-Verlag. New York.

Stone, C.P., and L.L. Loope. 1996. Alien species in Hawaiian national parks, p. 133-158. In W.L. Halvorson and G.E. Davis (eds.), Science and Ecosystem Management in the National Parks. The University of Arizona Press, Tucson.

Loope, L.L., and C.P. Stone. 1996. Strategies to reduce erosion of biodiversity by exotic terrestrial species, p. 261-279. In Biodiversity in Managed Landscapes: Theory and Practice, R.C. Szaro and D.W. Johnston (eds.). Oxford University Press, New York.

Vitousek, P.M., C.M. D'Antonio, L.L. Loope, and R. Westbrooks. 1996. Biological invasions as global environmental change. American Scientist 84:468-478.

Medeiros, A.C., W.H. Wagner, Jr., and R.W. Hobdy. 1996. A new Hawaiian hanging firmoss (Lycopodiaceae: Phlegmariurus)from the eastern Hawaiian Islands. American Fern Journal 86:89-97.

Medeiros, A.C., C.G. Chimera, and L.L. Loope. 1996. Ka'uhako Crater Botanical Resource and Threat Monitoring. Coop. Natl. Park Resources Studies Unit, Univ. Hawaii/Manoa, Dept. Botany. Tech. Rept.

Krushelnycky, P.D., and N.J. Reimer. 1996. Efforts at Control of the Argentine Ant in Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii Coop. Natl. Park Resources Studies Unit, Univ. Hawaii/Manoa, Dept. Botany. Tech. Rept. 109. 33p.

Loope, L.L. 1997. The Hawaiian islands as a laboratory for addressing alien species problems. In G. Meffe and R. Carroll, Principles of Conservation Biology, 2nd edition. Sinauer Associates, Inc. Sunderland, Massachusetts.

Conant, P., A.C. Medeiros, and L.L. Loope. 1997. A multi-agency containment program for miconia (Miconia calvescens), an invasive tree in Hawaiian rain forests. In J. Luken and J. Thieret (eds.), Assessment and Management of Invasive Plants. Springer-Verlag.

Medeiros, A.C., L.L. Loope, P. Conant, and S. McElvaney. 1997. Status, ecology, and management of the invasive tree Miconia calvescens DC (Melastomataceae) in the Hawaiian Islands. In Records of the the Hawaii Biological Survey for 1996, N.L. Evenhuis and S.E. Miller (eds.), Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 48:23-36.

Loope, L.L. 1997. Hawaii and the Pacific. In A Report on the Status and Trends of the Biological Resources of the United States, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.

Starr, F., K. Martz, and L. L. Loope.  1999.  New plant records from East Maui for 1998.  Bishop Mus. Occas. Pap.  59:11-15.

Martz, K., F. Starr, and A.C. Medeiros. 1999. New island record of Carposina nigronotata Walsingham on Maui (Lepidoptera: Carposinidae).  Bishop Mus. Occas. Pap.  59:26-27.

Starr, F. and K. Martz.  2000.  New plant records for Midway Atoll.  Bishop Mus. Occas. Pap.  64:10-12.

Starr, F., K. Martz, and Lloyd Loope.  2001.  Botanical Inventory of Kure Atoll.  Report prepared for State Department of Land and Natural Resources, Honolulu, Hawai'i.

Starr, F., K. Martz, and L. L. Loope.  2002.  New plant records for the Hawaiian Archipelago.  Bishop Mus. Occas. Pap. 69:16-27.


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Aloha, and thanks for visiting our website!  Bookmark us NOW and come back soon!


We wish to thank Robyn Myers for her efforts to create and maintain an interim "unofficial" Haleakala Research website way before we got this one online!  (Robyn is a researcher who has worked with HFS staff on related projects in nearby Waikamoi Preserve and elsewhere on East Maui.)
Comments or questions about this website?  Send e­mail to webmaster@hear.org

This website was created by and is maintained courtesy of the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk (HEAR) Project.  This page was last updated on 16 April 2005 by LF.